THE SNOW QUEEN. 281

and she did not care to hear her own words again. It was just
as if the people in there had taken some narcotic and fallen asleep,
till they got into the street again, for not till then were they able
to speak. There stood a whole row of them, from the town gate
to the palace gate. I went out myself to see it,” said the Crow.
“They were hungry and thirsty, but in the palace they did not
receive so muchas a glass of lukewarm water. A few of the wisest
had brought bread and butter with them, but they would not share
with their neighbours, for they thought, ‘Let him look hungry,
and the Princess won’t have him.’”

“ But Kay, little Kay?” asked Gerda, “When did he come?
Was he among the crowd ?”

“Wait! wait! We’re just coming to him. It was on the third
day that there camea little personage, without horse or carriage,
walking quite merrily up to the castle; his eyes sparkled like
yours, he had fine long hair, but his clothes were shabby.”

“ That was Kay!” cried Gerda, rejoicing. ‘‘ Oh, then I have
found him!” And she clapped her hands.

“He had a little knapsack on his back,” observed the Crow.

“No, that must certainly have been his sledge, said Gerda,
“for he went away with a sledge.”

“ That may well be,” said the Crow, “for I did not look to it
very closely, But this much I know from my tame sweetheart,
that when he passed under the palace gate and saw the Life
Guards in silver, and mounted the staircase and saw the lackeys
in gold, he was not in the least embarrassed. He nodded, and
said to them, ‘It must be tedious work standing on the stairs—
I’d rather go in.’ The halls shone full of lights ; privy councillors
and Excellencies walked about with bare feet, and carried golden
vessels ; any one might have become solemn; and his boots
creaked most noisily, but he was not embarrassed.”

“ That is certainly Kay!” cried Gerda. ‘“ He had new boots
on; I’ve heard them creak in grandmother’s room.”

“Yes, certainly they creaked,” resumed the Crow. “And he
went boldly in to the Princess herself, who sat on a pearl that
was as big as a spinning-wheel; and all the maids of honour,
with their attendants, and the attendants’ attendants, and all the
cavaliers with their followers, and the followers of their followers,
who themselves kept a page apiece, were standing round ; and
the nearer they stood to the door, the prouder they looked. The
followers’ followers’ pages, who always went in slippers, could
hardly be looked at, so proudly did they stand in the doorway !”

“ That must be terrible!” faltered little Gerda. “ And yet Kay
won the Princess?” ,

“Tf I had not been a crow, I would have married her myself,
notwithstanding that Iam engaged. They say he spoke as well
as I can when I speak the crows’ language; I heard that from
. my tame sweetheart. He was merry and agreeable ; he had not